College pickleball didn't start as a tour. It started as one event, one bracket, and 16 college clubs willing to find out who was actually the best in the country. Here's how that weekend in Texas turned into the tour running college pickleball today, and exactly who's behind it.

How it all began

In 2022, DUPR put out a call to the country's most active college pickleball clubs and invited them to compete in the first-ever College National Championship. DUPR ran this event on its own, as an experiment to see if college pickleball could really work. Sixteen programs showed up in Dripping Springs, Texas, and UNC beat Utah Tech 3-1 to become the first college pickleball national champion.

That first championship did more than crown a winner. It proved college pickleball could support a real, organized season, and it set up everything that came next.

From one event to a full season

The energy out of Dripping Springs, TX pushed DUPR to build a full calendar for 2023, turning a single championship into a year-long tour. Since then, growth has been steady:

• Over 90 events run across five seasons
• More than 10,000 college players have competed
• A recognized Power Rankings and Points Leaderboard tracking teams all season long

Who runs the College Pickleball Tour

Starting in 2025, the College Pickleball Tour became a partnership run by both DUPR and the UPA. Through this collaboration, the CPT has been able to establish itself as a path to pro with the top college teams playing in the MLP Mid-Season Tournament each year. The combined pickleball experience from both companies further elevates the competition at each event.

What the College Pickleball Tour is responsible for

Running college pickleball day to day means handling a few core jobs:

1. Running and managing all CPT events, including The Nationals
2. Growing and developing college pickleball clubs nationwide
3. Publishing and maintaining the Power Rankings and Points Leaderboard
4. Setting and enforcing eligibility standards for competing players

How To Get involved

The College Pickleball Tour went from one bracket in Texas to a season-long tour with thousands of competitors, and it's still growing. If your school doesn't have a club yet, here's how to start a pickleball club at your college. If you're already playing, check your DUPR rating and see where you stack up against the competition.